Starting a new job on the 29th and plan on moving into some apartments early next year which are only 2 miles away. A 1.5 miles away from where Im going to work is where Ill be going to school. Prolly .5 miles away from the apartments I want to move to is a grocery store, sporting goods store, etc... Can you say almost carless?

Even though my mountain bike wasnt too expensive ('04 Giant Iguana) I still want to keep tires and other parts from getting worn. Most of my current riding is done on paved road so Im thinking about getting a road bike then later converting it to be my commuter.

1) Where the heck do I find good used bikes (particularly in the Huntsville, AL area)? I checked salvation army today and didnt see anything. I know they get bikes in fairly often but I have never seen any. Im thinking they give them away to people who really need them. Havent found squat in the news paper. Havent found any other good sources. Are pawn shops worth looking at? Maybe as the holidays get close people will start selling their bikes (newspaper). Would it really be worth it to get a new bike?

2) What kind of bike should I be looking for? Is there a general consencus over what style is prefered or is that purely personal preference? Right now Im thinking maybe a road bike but Im not familiar enough with the area to know if there are any off road shortcuts I could take. Should I ride the area a while before I actually get around to choosing a bike? Im pretty sure there are some bike clubs that meet in the area and ride the road during lunch.

3) Will panniers and fenders go on just about any bike?

4) Right now Im running clipless pedals on my bike. Is it generally better to go with platforms or is it worth carrying around extra shoes?

Oh well, theres much more I could ask but I think this is prolly the most important to me. Im prolly worrying too much about this since I prolly wont have the $$$ to move out till about 4 months. Parents want me to get a new car before I go. Not going to argue with them since they will help pay for it even though I wont need it too often. Free rent + driving > rent + tons'o'bills